The Los Angeles Lakers said Jarred Vanderbilt will not be able to play in their game at home against the Phoenix Suns.

Vanderbilt hasn’t played since October 7, which was the first workout game for the Lakers. He will now miss his second straight game to begin the 2023–24 season.

Vanderbilt signed a four-year deal, which means he should be in the running for the fifth starting spot. He has been relaxing and watching the team play instead. The last starter was Taurean Prince, and he seems to be doing a great job with it based on how well he fits in with the other starts.

First, it looked like a small injury. But now the Lakers and Vanderbilt are worried because the team hasn’t told them when he’ll be back. On the other hand, they are now calling the problem left heel bursitis after first calling it pain.

The lower body has given Vanderbilt trouble in the past, and it looks like he’ll need some more time to fully heal.

Los Angeles got some new wings over the summer, so they won’t miss Vanderbilt right now. Darvin Ham, on the other hand, would love to have him back because he’s one of their best edges. Even though the 24-year-old wasn’t on the court during the playoffs, he’s still useful as a defensive all-around player and energy guy.

Most likely, Rui Hachimura will keep Prince on the bench and let him play most of the small forward hours. Not only that, but Cam Reddish also played in the team’s first game, which was against the Denver Nuggets. He might have a bigger role if Vanderbilt misses more games.

Vanderbilt would have helped the Suns because he would have gone after Kevin Durant. People say that both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal might not be able to play, but Prince will step in and take that spot. This could be a good day for the Lakers.

That was a great first game for the Suns. But Booker’s left foot has been hurting him, and Beal hasn’t been able to play yet because his lower back hurts.

Vanderbilt’s next game is on the road on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings. This is the first of two games in a row. He could also be sent home from that game by the team. He might instead start on Monday at home against the Orlando Magic.

It says that Cam Reddish is expected to play against the Suns even though his right foot hurts.

Another player who was hurt in the game against Phoenix was Cam Reddish. He had pain in his right foot, but he is still listed as questionable. This was Reddish’s first game, and he played well against the Warriors. He might deserve to play more against the Suns.